1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to guns and, more particularly, to a chambering device for a gun.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chambering devices such as reamers or drills are used for machining or enlarging an interior or a chamber of a barrel of guns, such as automatic and semi-automatic pistols and rifles. These chambering devices generally extend longitudinally and have a relatively long tool shaft or shank extending therefrom. The shank includes a forward cutting end, which is rotated and pulled along the interior of the barrel of the gun during a cutting or chambering operation.
Commonly, in the manufacture of a gun, the interior of the barrel of the gun is only partially chambered. More specifically, the interior, except for head spacing for a head of a cartridge, is chambered, for example, in the case of a .223, a 5.56, an AR-15, a Ruger mini-14, and an Old Grande.
By way of background, a .223 semi-automatic rifle uses a Remington cartridge and is only a civilian weapon. A 5.56 is a military version of an old Colt design. An M-16 is a military version of a 5.56 and can be a full automatic or semi-automatic rifle. With an M-16, shells are run-in so fast that sloppiness in head spacing is needed. A .223 and a 5.56 use very similar cartridges and, thus, head spacing. An AR-15 is a civilian version of a 5.56 and can be only a semi-automatic rifle. A Ruger mini-14 is a small version of an M-14, which can be a semi-automatic rifle only. An old Grande can be only a semi-automatic rifle.
Although it is not recommended, it is possible to use a cartridge for the .223 in the M-16 semi-automatic rifle, and a cartridge for the M-16, which can be of a different size than the cartridge for the .223, in the .223 semi-automatic rifle. However, too much or too little head space in the barrel for the head of the cartridge can be problematic. As such, chambering of the barrel for each of these rifles, for example, is incomplete, and proper cartridge-head spacing is achieved later with use of a chambering device.
In military and civilian applications, to chamber the interior of the barrel of a .223 or an M-16, for instance, in the field, the gun barrel is typically removed from the gun. Then, a reamer of desired size is inserted into the barrel of the gun and pulled and rotated therein to give a desired finished cut to the interior of the barrel. Although reamers can satisfactorily finish the interior of the barrel of the gun, removing the barrel from the gun is time-consuming and relatively difficult in the field.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a chambering device to finish chambering of a barrel of a gun. It is also desirable to provide a chambering device that does not require a barrel to be removed from a gun for chambering the interior of the barrel. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a chambering device that meets these desires.
Accordingly, the present invention is a chambering device for a gun. The chambering device includes a shank having a plurality of cutting flutes. The chambering device also includes a projection extending from one end of the shank and at least one spacer disposed about the projection. The chambering device further includes a shaft extending from the shank opposite the projection and adapted to rotate the shank along an interior of the barrel of the gun as the shank is pushed for enlarging the interior and providing a desired head spacing.
One advantage of the present invention is that a chambering device is provided for a gun that does not require the barrel to be removed from the gun for chambering the interior of the barrel. Another advantage of the present invention is that the chambering device permits easier chambering of the interior of the barrel of the gun. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the chambering device is pushed to chamber the interior of the barrel. A further advantage of the present invention is that the chambering device provides the proper head spacing. Yet a further advantage of the present invention is that the chambering device may be used on both semi-automatic rifles and pistols.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.